The town should blush.
“Terre Haute’s cute,” said Marycarol Treleven, smiling.
Cute is good. The phrase might be worthy of a tourism campaign slogan.
Treleven traveled 2,200 miles from her home in Tacoma, Wash., to watch her 21-year-old daughter, Chloe Treleven, compete in last Monday’s NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course. Chloe and her University of San Francisco teammates became the first cross country team in school history to qualify for the national title race. That historic berth sealed Marycarol’s mid-November travel plans.
“If you make it to nationals, you have to go,” she said of the long journey.
Adding to the drama is the fact Marycarol’s daughter overcame childhood health problems and blossomed into the No. 3 runner on America’s 26th-ranked college women’s cross country team.
On Monday, Chloe ran the 6-kilometer race in 21 minutes and 24 seconds, good for 117th place out of 254 competitors. They hugged a few dozen feet from the finish line. Though a chilly drizzle dampened their faces and hair, the moment, Marycarol said, “warms my heart.”
What a hefty honor it is for Terre Haute to serve as the setting for such a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Memorable exchanges just like that happened all over the Gibson course Monday afternoon. Family, friends and fans traveled from all corners of the United States to that serene 240-acre location. Jim and Gloria Amthor trekked 1,100 miles from San Antonio to watch their daughter, Julie, run for the Texas Longhorns, and she placed 152nd. Eric and Donna D’Agostino and family came 1,050 miles from Topsfield, Mass., to see their daughter, Abbey, represent Dartmouth College in the NCAA event. Abbey crossed the line third, just 1.7 seconds behind the winner, in one of the most thrilling finishes since the NCAAs first came to town in 2002.
As a sea of onlookers huddled along the fence on the homestretch, watching the lead pack run shoulder-to-shoulder toward the finish line, one fan hollered, “It’s gonna be close. What a race.”
Listen to improve
The impressions of Terre Haute etched in their minds go beyond the race. The course, the community and its attributes fit into their memories, too. Those opinions from objective outsiders are valuable — the favorable (which were predominant) as well as the constructive criticism.
The Amthors have followed Julie’s University of Texas track and cross country career throughout the vast Big 12 Conference. The Terre Haute course struck them as unique. “It’s different than anything else, because you’re so out in the country, and it’s so beautiful,” said Julie’s mom, Gloria. “And the amenities are really good,” added her husband, Jim.
Many inside college cross country circles have suggested that Terre Haute become the permanent site for the NCAA Division I race, because the course is specifically designed for the sport and the city has become so adept at staging the event. (The nationals have been conducted here nine of the past 10 years.) Jim Amthor likes that idea. “Just geographically and logistically, this [place] makes a lot more sense” than others, he said.
The NCAA hasn’t locked Terre Haute in yet, though. Louisville was awarded the 2012 championships, while Terre Haute gets them back in 2013.
During the past decade, this community began calling itself “Cross Country Town, USA.” The label may have started out as wishful thinking, but now it fits like a pair of plush running shoes. It also sets a standard that should motivate Terre Haute to improve.
The D’Agostinos enjoyed their first encounter with the city, and daughter Abbey’s performance as a mere sophomore enhanced it. The course, said Abbey’s dad, Eric, “is very spectator friendly.” The event was “very organized from the beginning,” said her mom, Donna, a former college runner, “and parking was effortless.” The idea of Terre Haute as the annual NCAA host sounds good to Abbey. “Obviously, it’s a central location and there’s lots of stuff around here,” she said.
Nighttime, fitness options
Eric offered one suggestion: “Tell the restaurants to stay open on Sunday night.” The D’Agostinos struggled to find a place to eat downtown on the eve of the NCAAs. While more Sunday night dining possibilities exist for folks who stay at hotels near the I-70 and U.S. 41 intersection, Chris Pfaff — president of Downtown Terre Haute Inc., and chairman of the ISU strategic plan to energize downtown — acknowledged the desire for extended restaurant hours.
“I think we find ourselves in that transition,” Pfaff said. “I think that will get better, but that’s still a challenge.” Restaurant owners need to see a potential for a return on their investment of keeping longer hours. If they stay open and pay employees for later shifts, will customers walk in? On a day-to-day basis, the future opening of the Indiana State University Scott College of Business at Seventh and Cherry streets, as well as proposed downtown housing units for students, should provide the necessary foot traffic to sustain evening dining, Pfaff said.
“It’s something that everybody’s aware of, and we’re just to that tipping point, but we’re not quite there yet,” he said.
Still, for special events such as the NCAAs, “Perhaps [the restaurants] need a little bit of encouragement” to extend hours, Pfaff added.
Another suggestion came from Marycarol Treleven as she listened to her daughter assess Terre Haute and other towns that host cross country meets, such as Madison, Wis., and Palo Alto, Calif. On her first visit to Indiana, Marycarol was glad to see Terre Haute’s array of restaurants included a Panera Bread. She also hoped to see more running paths or sidewalks, which are less prevalent on the south side of the city near I-70 and U.S. 41. “A lot of people that come are athletes, themselves, and would like just to have a jog,” said Marycarol, a regular runner.
The busy I-70 and U.S. 41 area gained sidewalks from Margaret to Davis avenues in recent years, but joggers and walkers have better options elsewhere in Terre Haute. “Arguably, that’s the most difficult area to construct [pedestrian paths] in the city,” said Pat Martin, chief planner for the city Engineering Department.
That said, Terre Haute has made great strides in developing places to run, walk and bicycle. In 2001, the town had no trails. By 2011, Terre Haute has 30-plus miles of trails and more envisioned. The first section completed was the National Road Heritage Trail’s 5.5-mile stretch from the Rose-Hulman campus area to the city’s east side in 2002. The planning process started under former mayor Jim Jenkins, began implementation under Judy Anderson, ramped up under Kevin Burke, and kept going forward under current mayor Duke Bennett.
To go from zero to 30 miles of trailways in 10 years is significant. “Arguably, that’s pretty good,” said Martin. “That’s not to say we’re resting on our laurels. We’d like to have 50 to 60 miles of trails, but that depends on resources.”
Future pathways, such as one connecting Collett Park to ISU and the Union Hospital area, and “share-the-road lanes” for cyclists and pedestrians, would appeal to a healthier generation of residents. Visitors, including those who see Terre Haute as Cross Country Town, USA, would appreciate those routes, too.
“We have to live up to that reputation and be more walking friendly, bicycle friendly and running friendly,” Martin said.
Cute and runner-friendly. For Terre Haute’s future, it’s all good.
Mark Bennett can be reached at (812) 231-4377 or mark.bennett@tribstar.com.
Mark Bennett B-Sides
MARK BENNETT: First impressions: City benefits from hearing visitors’ views of community
- Mark Bennett B-Sides
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MARK BENNETT: Time for surf, sand and a good book
I can read a book on the beach. Until I start sweating. Then it feels like exercise, minus the fitness perks. My brain shifts into neutral as the waves roll in, blissfully washing away footprints in the sand and my inclination to think. Better put, I enjoy starting a book on the beach, and finishing it later, elsewhere.
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Police: Mom, son conspire to kill witness
The Clay County Sheriff’s Department seems to have prevented what it believes was a mother-and-son conspiracy to commit murder.
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Banks of the Wabash Festival is more than just yearly entertainment
Pioneers think counterintuitively. Where others see widespread apathy, they focus on the possibility for progress. In a way, the 2013 Year of the River celebration began in the 1970s.
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MARK BENNETT: After running for 28 hours straight, what’s another 5 miles?
Some phrases can only be uttered by a few people, or none at all.
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MARK BENNETT: One step at a time to save lives
Joan Brown.
Remember that name. -
MARK BENNETT: Sometimes, the mere posing of questions is significant
The era seems quaint now, almost like a fable. When people left their house doors unlocked. When the sight of a police officer in a school meant it was Career Day.
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MARK BENNETT: New reality steers Nashville singer to Crossroads for Historical Society concert
People pass through the Crossroads of America for lots of reasons.
Business trips. College campus events. Federal prison sentences. Visits with relatives. Gas pitstops.
Or maybe a career change and a twist of fate.
Ty Brown makes his first stop in downtown Terre Haute as the headliner of a multi-band Sweet Sensations Country Jam concert May 4 in the Ohio Building — a fundraiser for the Vigo County Historical Society. -
MARK BENNETT: Terre Haute barber ‘sharpens up’ customers for 50 years
People streamed through this section of downtown Terre Haute in those days.
“You could hardly walk by here,” John Hochhalter said, pointing toward the sidewalk outside the window.
The bustle has faded since the early 1960s. Hochhalter remains. He’s still barbering in the same shop he and late business partner Kenny Thomas opened a half-century ago this week. -
MARK BENNETT: Memories, emotions rush back with announcement of new pope
I saw a pope once.Read quickly, that sentence sounds too casual, almost as if we’d crossed paths at Home Depot. Say it slowly, though, and the significance comes through.
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MARK BENNETT: Reflections of grid success stir with Brent Anderson’s passing
A few hundred miles away, and nearly 40 years gone by, a special game ball still occupies a fond place in Rudy Bohinc’s memories.
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Lent meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute
Initially, the concept might conjure images of Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman jumping out of an airplane or sitting atop the Pyramids. Instead, think “Lent Meets ‘The Bucket List’ in Terre Haute.”
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MARK BENNETT: Never truer: Knowledge vital to narrowing ‘skills gap’
The pillar at the gates of Faber College in the movie “Animal House” bore a wise motto, despite its tongue-in-cheek intent …
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MARK BENNETT: Great-niece to re-enact Paul Dresser’s musical legacy in Terre Haute show
People can be forgotten. Their lives end, time passes and memories fade.
Often, the only keepers of their legacies are family and friends, who tell and retell their stories, generation to generation.
For Paul Dresser, his fame burned strong enough as a turn-of-the-century, million-seller songwriter to preserve bits of his public notoriety. -
MARK BENNETT: An Olympic takedown
Imagine an iconic image of American sports history erased.
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MARK BENNETT: Indiana’s ‘skills gap’
A problem lasting decades ceases to be a “problem.” By then, the situation becomes “part of the culture.”
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MARK BENNETT: America’s best quality of life? Indiana must address flaws, set priorities
Just as the job interview seems smooth, the interviewer drops the question.
“So, where do you see yourself in five years?” -
MARK BENNETT: Pondering what is meant by ‘quality of life’ to Hoosiers
Sometimes it’s sincere. Other times, it’s sarcasm.
You cross paths with a friend, ask how they’re doing, and they say, “Ah, just livin’ the dream.”
Livin’ the dream. What exactly does that involve? Can it be defined? -
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It’s the ugly side of the cold-and-flu season.
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MARK BENNETT: Living on the banks
We are the Wabash.
Really. -
MARK BENNETT: Rising young producer lands spot in Sundance Film Festival
When a project clicks, the moment is clear.
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MARK BENNETT: Remember the 20 children lost
Their names were listed on the screen at the front of the church on Sunday.
Our pastor asked us to choose one and pray for their family. I selected Noah Pozner, just by chance. -
MARK BENNETT: Tasting panel to help find Champagne Velvet’s ‘million-dollar flavor’
Rounding up enough volunteers to serve on a committee can be a struggle.
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MARK BENNETT: Thanksgiving’s feast can be defined by either the presence of family or the family’s quest for presents
The best gift deals will be gone by 12:01 a.m. Nov. 23.
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MARK BENNETT: Salvation Army touches many lives
Sometimes, the unexpected happens.
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MARK BENNETT: Election excellence: 30 out of 32 is pretty darn good
Detroit car makers unveil the latest Mustangs and Corvettes on Wabash Avenue.
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MARK BENNETT: Climbing the rungs of Lincoln’s Ladder
One crucial quality helped Abraham Lincoln become America’s greatest president.
Courage? Political savvy? Wisdom? Moral character? -
MARK BENNETT: Drop the needle
Over time, excellence and nostalgia inappropriately merge in our minds.
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No matter the age, voting’s a part of American fabric
The electoral karma seemed, well, unfair.
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MARK BENNETT: A moment on the brink
Ominous, but distant.
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